Program a hit for members looking to save

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Posted on Aug 31 2022 in Boone REMC

Dear Boone REMC, 

We first learned about the Sense home energy monitor program from Boone REMC when my wife read the article in the REMC magazine and shared it with me. I was excited about it because I had first learned about the Sense monitor from watching an episode of This Old House where they were discussing innovative ways to monitor electrical usage and how that could translate into actual savings. 

We immediately sent an email to Boone REMC that we were interested in using Sense to monitor our electrical use. As soon as the system was installed it began to identify the devices that used the most electricity. Each day I would get a notification that Sense had found a “New Device” and how much electricity that device was using. That was extremely helpful as we immediately focused on what the Sense program was identifying. It found all the large devices right away and then began identifying the smaller items. It became obvious where we could save money throughout our home. 

Sense monitor
Our member services technicians created a compact kit to quickly install the Sense monitor in a member’s home.

There were some things that we didn’t think of like changing our CFL light bulbs to LED lightbulbs and turning off monitors and computers. It was very helpful. We even found that our children were using space heaters and sometimes leaving them on during the day.  

Using the Sense program changed the way we looked at our electrical bills. In the past, we waited for the bill to arrive and tried to figure out what was causing our bill to be so high. After the Sense program was installed we could figure out what was happening in real-time and make the adjustments immediately which saved us on our monthly bill. We made lots of changes and continue to make changes as we transitioned from winter heating to summer cooling. 

I would tell anyone that was looking to save money on electricity to install the Sense program and pay attention to the data it will be giving you. You will begin to save money right away! 

Matt Walters with BREMC was very professional and helpful. I gained a lot of knowledge by listening to him about overall electrical use and from his knowledge and experience using the Sense program. 

We have been very pleased with Boone REMC from the day we first built this house back in 2004. 

Thanks and have a wonderful day!
John & Melissa McCullough

BREMC Smart Sense Overview
Members have a web-based dashboard to pinpoint what is using energy and how much is being used. Our members services technicians have access to each of our 14 units and can help members find what’s consuming electricity.

Sense board
The specialized dashboard generates reports to help our service technicians pinpoint what is using energy and how much is being used.  The Sense hooks into the electric panel and monitors energy use throughout the house. Many users find that it helps them save money because they know exactly what to turn off or use less. 

Interested in the Sense monitoring system? 

You can take part in our pilot program by calling Becca at 1-800-897-7362.